NASHIK: Bappa's arrival in the city on Monday ensured a bumper bonanza for the passenger vehicle market, sending the cash registers of dealers ringing.

The market witnessed a 30% growth in sales on Ganesh Chaturthi, giving a much-needed facelift to the sluggish sector for the last two years.

The car segment registered 25% growth, while the two-wheeler sales soared to 35%, as compared to the last year's figures during Chaturthi.

According to market sources, around 550 units of two-wheelers worth Rs 3.5 crore were sold across city showrooms on festive Monday as against the sale of 400 units on the say day last year.

In the car segment, around 325 units worth Rs 13 crore were sold this Chaturthi, as against the sale of 260 units last year.

A sales head from one of the car showrooms in the city said, "The company has three showrooms in the city. Around 170 cars were sold on a single day today. We are expecting good business until Dussehra and Diwali."

Speaking to TOI, Sudhir Mutalik, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), North Maharashtra Zonal Council, said, "The automobile market depends more on the rural economy. Good monsoon has boosted farmers' morale, leading to a surge in the sale of passenger vehicles. We are expecting good business for the automobile sector during the festive season up to Diwali and the rest of the financial year."

"The days of slowdown are now gone; the market will improve a lot from here on," he added.

Bipin Bataviya, a dealer of a two-wheeler showroom in the city, said, "We received good response from consumers this Chaturthi, which marks the beginning of the festive season. We sold 75 units on Monday alone. The past two years witnessed a drought, affecting the automobile sector as well. But with the a good spell of monsoon, the rural sector is in a positive state of mind, resulting in good sales."

In fact, segment leaders like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Hero MotoCorp have reported de-growth of 34.3 per cent, 45 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively giving a clear indication of a prolonged slowdown in the sector.